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Toyota Prius Awarded Title of `Best Engineered Car |
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DETROIT, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on a survey of readers' opinions, the editors of Automotive Engineering International have selected the 2001 Toyota Prius as the "Best Engineered Car of 2001". The announcement coincided with the opening of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) 2001 World Congress, March 5-8, in Detroit, Michigan.
The Prius is the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. It combines the use of a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine with an electric motor for propulsion to achieve impressive EPA fuel economy numbers: 45mpg on the highway and 52mpg in city driving. Automotive Engineering International has recognized the new Prius as one of the most environmentally friendly passenger cars in production.
Passenger comfort, ease of operation, visibility and affordability were also factors considered in the selection. The Prius is configured as a 5-passenger family sedan and is on sale in the U.S. for around $20,000.
Toyota first introduced the Prius in 1997 in Japan to primarily accommodate "stop and go" low-speed driving environments. The 2001 Prius is a second generation of the vehicle designed to function efficiently at higher driving speeds, longer distances, and more dramatic climate changes associated with driving in North America.
The SAE 2001 World Congress, a showplace of automotive engineering technology, continues through Thursday, March 8th, at Cobo Center in Detroit. For more information, log onto the World Congress Virtual Exhibit at www.sae.org.
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